Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (HEL:NOK1V), the Finnish mobile maker, is supposedly planning to launch its own 10 inch Windows RT Tablet in February. DigiTimes reported that Nokia is in talks with QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) and Compal to build the tablet.
Stories of a Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (HEL:NOK1V) tablet had appeared earlier this year, with propositions that the company would pick a dual-core Qualcomm SoC with early shipments of 200,000 units. Nokia seemingly postponed its Windows RT plans following Microsoft Corporation’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) Surface announcement.
Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop has constantly spoken about the prospect he sees in the tablet market, and now one may have the first particulars of how Nokia plans to make most of its tablet capitalize. Earlier supplier disclosed that Nokia will come in the Windows on ARMrace with a 10-inch Windows 8 tablet running on a dual-core Qualcomm SoC by the end of this year. More precisely, the recommendation is that Q4 2012 will be “the earliest” that Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (HEL:NOK1V) will be able to offer its own tablet device.
Watching QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM)’s system-on-chip roadmap, the most probable contender for driving Nokia’s Windows 8 tablet would be the Snapdragon S4. Snapdragon S4 has just been integrated in devices like the HTC Corp (TPE:2498), One S and stands a practical chance of being part of Microsoft’s spec for the next Windows Phone update, code-named Apollo.
Taiwanese ODM Compal Electronics is expected to handle the manufacturing duties for Nokia, with 200,000 units of the supposed 10-inch slabs likely to be manufactured in the first run. The recommended timeline here is a slightly behind Dell’s “day one” policy for releasing an innovative Windows 8 tablet the moment the new OS is released, but then Nokia’s is all set to cater a different market. If Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (HEL:NOK1V) is able to integrate the successful industrial design of the Lumia 800/900 series with Windows 8’s form, factor and performance, the Finnish company stands a decent chance of being in demand, on many holiday shopping lists.
If the reports are precise, launch for Nokia’s tablet makes a lot of sense. Sources have also revealed that AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is scheduling to stock a Nokia tablet next year. Nokia’s head of design, Marko Ahtisaari, publicized earlier this year that he’s dedicating a third of his time conniving an upcoming tablet. Despite a slow start for Windows 8 tablets and Windows RT, a colorful Nokia tablet could be just what Microsoft’s need to inspire consumers and OEMs to devote time and money in the new operating system.
